Believing in Love
by kuristina
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke never believed in love. Not until one fateful day when he finally found the one. Based on 500 Days of Summer. Twoshot.
1. I Now Believe In Love

**A/N:** An idea inspired from watching (500) Days of Summer.

**DISCLAIMER:** characters by Kishimoto, based on (500) Days of Summer, some lines taken from the movie

* * *

><p>Uchiha Sasuke was what people would describe as perfect. He had gorgeous features such as his raven hair that girls would kill to just pet. He had endless dark eyes that made any woman and the occasional male swoon. He was a little taller than the average male. He was strong but that body was always hidden behind a finely pressed suit. No doubt he was beautifully built beneath his clothes. His skin was porcelain and perfect, not a blemish marked it except for the tattoo that he got in high school. If you asked him about it, he would not answer.<p>

People were not worthy of that story.

Sasuke never believed in love in general. If you asked him why, he would not give you a reason. His only answer would be a no. If you asked if he ever loved before, he would sneer in your face. If you ever asked would he ever want to love someone, he would tell you to go fuck yourself.

Uchiha Sasuke did not believe in love.

He was just not attracted to the idea the idea, actions, or words of love.

None of it appealed to him.

The only love he had felt was one from his family and that was it. He didn't feel passionate or intimate love.

He was co-president of his father's company alongside his brother.

Uchiha Itachi had a love. He had the wedding ring to prove it. And every month he would ask if his little brother ever found a lover.

That question has not been answered from the first time to the time right now.

And after twenty-four years of life of the younger Uchiha, Itachi was desperate to get Sasuke a lover. Or at least put himself out there a little and _try_ to meet someone.

But Sasuke would always refuse.

"When are you ever going to find someone and settle down?"

"Hn."

"Don't you want a lovely spouse at your side? It would definitely brighten up your life."

"Hn."

"Mother and Father are concerned. They want you to meet someone so that you're not so frigid. We just want what is best for you."

Sasuke's current existence was as the following: wake up, get ready for work, have breakfast (at home or out), go to work, attending to his duties at work such as papers or meetings, have lunch, more various work related things, go home, have dinner (also at home or out), get ready for bed, and sleep.

Even on his days off and weekends, he worked. He didn't have anything else to keep him busy. Not that he minded at all. Sasuke liked being by himself. Work kept him busy and he wasn't distracted by anything. He was a focused man.

Dating was a hassle.

One night stands he could do he didn't mind. He had to relieve some sexual tension built up in him every once in a while.

But marriage was something that Sasuke didn't seem to agree with.

His parents have been pushing him to get married ever since he graduated high school. They have set him up knowing that their son wouldn't pick someone to please them.

Sasuke would be damned if he were forced into an arranged marriage.

So no dating, no marriage, and most certainly not love.

Not until one fateful day…

When he finally found the one.

* * *

><p>"Uchiha-san, your brother is requesting to see you." A voice on the intercom announced.<p>

Sasuke, without looking up from his paperwork, sneered. Everyone knew that when Itachi was 'requesting' to see you, it meant 'I better see your face in front of mine in the next five seconds.'

He reached out and pressed button on the intercom and said back, "Tell him to leave me be."

But when his finger removed itself from the machine, Itachi opened the door. And behind him was another presence.

Of course Sasuke didn't need to look up to know. He just knew.

"Otouto, we have a new employee," Itachi said, "this is Uzumaki Naruto." He stepped aside to view the new employee to his brother.

"I-It's very nice to meet you." A soft but professional voice greeted.

Sasuke still didn't bother to look up and grunted a, "Hn."

"Uzumaki-san will be my new assistant. I thought I would introduce you. You will be seeing him more often." Itachi continued, knowing that Sasuke would eventually become irritated with his ever lingering presence.

"Hn."

"Otouto, say hi."

"…"

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke growled and was ready to send his brother and new employee out by force. He was working and needed to focus on what he was doing! But his breath caught when he saw the new assistant. He was fucking breathtaking.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had been awestruck from the moment he laid his eyes on Uzumaki Naruto. At first he thought that maybe it because that he had that extra cup of coffee the night before and had a bit of a hard time sleeping that he was so fascinated with the blonde. He shook it off the rest of the work day and continued on with his business.<p>

It was just a new employee. They come and go. And he would be working with his brother so he probably wouldn't even last. Itachi loved being a handful to his assistants. It was a tough job to wait on him.

But after a month of seeing the blonde still around and he still found that he was fascinated with the blonde, Sasuke knew that he had to associate with him. He was feeling something different with the blonde and he had to pursue him.

He had never had this feeling after all.

Sasuke had never paid more attention to one human being. But who could actually pass by Naruto and not take a glance at him? He was a natural blonde (he had heard that around the office), his height slightly below average, average shoe size, he looked to be about average weight not being too big or too thin, and he had… amazing blue eyes.

He had never found himself paying so much detail to just one person.

"Good work on today Uzumaki-san. I am particularly pleased about today about your work." Itachi said when Naruto was ready to walk out the door. "You are very competent and I hope to have you around for a long time.

Naruto looked back and smiled at his boss. "Thank you, sir. I am honored."

Itachi nodded towards his younger brother and left for the elevator.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto who bowed to him slightly. "Have a good day sir." He said to him.

Sasuke looked at him strangely and Naruto wondered if he had done the wrong thing. He hadn't really had much interaction with the assistant ever since they were introduced. He had only been observing the individual from afar.

But he put on a calm face and said, "Thank you," and a, "how was your day Uzumaki-san?"

"It was productive. I like the employees and the atmosphere of the work place. I enjoy working here and I don't mind your brother's work. He works me hard but it's nothing I can't handle!"

Truthfully, Sasuke was glad that the blonde was enthusiastic about his workload. It meant that he could handle his brother and he would be around for a while.

"Very good Uzumaki-san. Have a good night's rest."

"You too as well!"

Sasuke's thoughts held only Naruto the rest of the drive home.

Never before had he seen someone so ethereal. It was almost like he was in a dream. But Uzumaki Naruto was real. And he was working for them.

Whenever he thought of the blonde or even saw him, he always felt his heart speed up a little. He wanted the blonde to notice him more; he wanted to see more of him.

Now Sasuke could say that he was in love.

Officially.

With Uzumaki Naruto.

Uchiha Sasuke was now officially in love with Uzumaki Naruto.

He had never experienced such an attraction to anybody. And Sasuke would be damned if he would let this one man get away from him. Oh no, most certainly not.

But he couldn't just hit on Naruto out of the blue. He didn't work like that. He was going to get Naruto into the palm of his hand using his own methods.

He wasn't an Uchiha for nothing.

So over the span of the next few weeks, Sasuke slowly got to know the blonde better. Just general information: likes, dislikes, favorites, and whatnot.

But he wanted more than to just ask him questions in the middle of the office. So one day he actually got up the nerve to ask the blonde out.

"Uzumaki-san," Sasuke started, "would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?"

Naruto looked up at him and smiled. If Sasuke wasn't who he was, his knees would have gone weak and would have had to hang onto the wall for support. But he kept his composure and his hands in his pockets to hide that his hands had clenched in anticipation.

The blonde nodded and smiled. "Sure Uchiha-san, that sounds nice."

Sasuke had led them to a small café just a few blocks away. He ordered a black coffee while Naruto ordered tea. "So Uchiha-san…"

"Sasuke. You can call me Sasuke."

Naruto smiled and laughed, "Is that alright?" he asked in reassurance. Sasuke nodded. "Okay… Sasuke, how come you asked me to get some coffee with you?"

"Because I wanted to. Simple as that."

"Well I don't see you asking coffee to any other coworker. Why me?"

Sasuke never knew that he could be so direct. And observant that Naruto noticed that he didn't really ask any other person out. He cleared his throat before answering, "You just… interest me."

Naruto smiled and said back, "Well you interest me too Uchi… I mean Sasuke."

Silence ended the conversation. Sasuke was uncomfortable with it but Naruto seemed to be blissfully okay with the atmosphere. A waitress came by with the tea and coffee. The blonde thanked her politely. Silently he sipped the beverage and waited for his superior to speak, if he had anything to say.

"So… Did you move here?" Sasuke asked.

"I just moved into a new apartment. I've lived here a long time, I just switch between homes. Don't wanna stay in one place for too long." Naruto said with a smile.

Sasuke wracked his mind to come up with more questions. "I see. Do you room or live with anyone?" What he really wanted to ask if the blonde was in a relationship. He would fight anyone off to have Naruto to himself. But he knew that it was too early for that. He had to go by this carefully.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Haha… No I live by myself. It's always been that way since I moved out of my parent's house. What about you Sasuke?"

"Yes I live by myself. Although Itachi seems to think he lives there as well. He comes by my apartment almost every week. The bastard doesn't leave me alone."

"Your brother must be very close to you then."

Sasuke clicked his tongue and sneered. "I doubt it. He goes out of his way to make my life hell."

Naruto just chuckled and continued to sip from his cup.

* * *

><p>"Yo… Sasuke."<p>

"Hn."

Said man looked up from his laptop to see one of his coworkers holding out a manila folder to him. "Here are those numbers you wanted." Shikamaru said with a hint of tired in his voice. "So what's up with you and Itachi's assistant?"

Sasuke looked back down at his laptop and continued typing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're actually getting friendly with someone for once. Never seen you act that nice with anyone." Shikamaru said nonchalantly.

"Hn. Your point?"

"You like him or something?"

The clicking of the keys stopped and Sasuke looked up once again. He was ready to choke the lazy man, even though what he said was true. But he wouldn't admit that out loud. Or have his own subordinate accuse him of such a thing. "Go back to work Nara."

"Fine. But I don't know what you see in that guy. He is way too bright and happy for your tastes. He was singing some song about having a pocketful of sunshine in the copy room."

"Just go back to work Nara."

（ﾉ´∀`）

Sasuke walked into the elevator, pulling down his tie in aggravation. He was pissed off and it was all thanks to that blonde idiot! The doors opened again to reveal Shikamaru.

He walked into the elevator, ignoring that his boss was practically fuming beside him. But he just had to ask anyway, "How are you Sasuke?"

He got a growl as a response. "Fucking little dobe."

"Dobe?"

"The shitty little blonde idiot!"

"… Oh you mean Naruto. What did he do?"

"_Good morning Uchiha-san." Naruto greeted when Sasuke reached the elevator._

_Sasuke nodded his head toward him and muttered, "Good morning."_

_The doors opened and they both stepped inside. Sasuke was completely tense at having the blonde next to him. He wanted to break the ice. "How was your weekend Uzumaki-san?"_

_Naruto looked up in thought for a moment before smiling and saying, "It was _good._"_

Shikamaru stared at his superior. What got him so upset? The blonde only said that his weekend was good. "I'm not sure what the problem is Sasuke."

Sasuke shot a glare at him and snarled. "Don't you fucking get it? He basically said that he spent the weekend bouncing on some random guy's cock that he hooked up with at the gym!"

In that elevator was an almost raging Sasuke and a confused Shikamaru, who begged for the contraption to go faster and get him to his floor. But his wish seemed to be ignored and instead it seemed like the elevator was going slower.

"I think you're reading too much into it Sasuke. All he said was that his weekend was good."

Sasuke clenched his fist and grit his teeth. "Whatever. Fuck the little dobe."

The doors opened and both men walked out of it.

Naruto smiled as Sasuke went pass by him. "Good morning Uchiha-san." All he received was a grunt and a passing glance. He watched as the younger Uchiha brother disappeared behind the door to his office and went off on his own business.

Sasuke, on the other hand, leaned against the door and sighed. How the hell could he stay mad at a fucking cute face like that?

He needed to get his mind off of Naruto.

Naruto was all he was thinking about lately.

Serisouly, he never believed in love before and now Naruto shows up in his life and turns his beliefs in love upside down.

He couldn't believe that this was happening to him. But he had no regrets about it.

* * *

><p>"Otouto, come out to dinner with me."<p>

"No."

Itachi stood across from Sasuke inside his apartment, having invaded his little brother's privacy once again. Of course if you asked, Itachi would merely reply that he has a right to invade Sasuke's life and apartment. Plus he knew how to get in his brother's apartment regardless if the lock was changed.

Uchiha's are who they are.

Sasuke was about to walk back into his room when Itachi spoke again. "I'm not asking you Sasuke. Come to this dinner with me. I have a guest."

"I don't want to meet some other business executive. That is your job Aniki. So leave me be."

"I didn't say that our guest or dinner had anything to do with business."

"Yeah, what was I thinking? This dinner is about you not leaving me to my own matters and life as an adult and wanting to pry and poke into my privacy. Itachi, I'm _not_ going on this dinner with you so whoever you brought can suck my-"

"Itachi? Are we leaving yet?" a voice yelled from the hallway.

Both Uchiha brothers looked at the front door to see the recently employed blonde to their company standing there. Naruto smiled at both of them and asked, "Are we ready to go yet?"

（ﾉ´∀`）

Two Uchiha brothers and a Naruto sat at a private booth of a restaurant. Itachi calmly sipped from his wine glass filled with red wine, Sasuke kept his gaze away from the blonde who was scanning the view of the window next to their table. "So Itachi, what brought you to bring Naruto out to dinner?" he asked, suspicious of his brother's motives.

Itachi sipped his wine and answered in a monotonous tone, "I thought we should show our newest employee a new welcome."

Sasuke called bullshit in his head towards his brother. Itachi didn't ever 'greet' new employees to some fancy dinner. Not to employees that have been working for just two months. By that span of time, Itachi would have forgotten his own assistant's name and by now would be calling him 'duckie' or 'minion' because he refused to remember or ask.

He shot his older brother a look, which was pointedly ignored.

"So Naruto-kun, are you seeing anyone? Perhaps have a lover?" Itachi asked.

At the mention of Naruto having a lover, Sasuke leaned in a little. He wanted to know if the dobe was single or taken. If he was single then it would make his job a lot easier. He had yet to get the stage of his plan to ask Naruto about his relationship status.

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "No Itachi-san, I'm not seeing anyone."

Sasuke mentally cheered in his head. The dobe was single and was right for the taking. He wanted Naruto so bad. He was the strongest desire the young Uchiha ever had in his entire life. To claim what he had finally discovered and found after such a long time of misery, which would probably be his greatest happiness.

That and to bed the blonde.

"No boyfriends or girlfriends?"

"No Itachi-san. Currently I'm not seeing anyone."

"Perhaps booty calls? Any friends with benefits?"

"Nope, none of those."

Sasuke was about to strangle Itachi. His brother definitely knew of his interest in his assistant and this was his way of messing Sasuke's plan.

"I see. Are you interested in dating? Or perhaps falling in love?" he continued to ask.

But hey, he wasn't stopping his brother.

Sasuke was practically leaning against the table to hear what Naruto was going to say. He was anticipating his answer. "Dating is okay I suppose. There is nothing wrong with it. But falling in love? That's such a funny question to ask!" Naruto answered laughing.

If Itachi and Sasuke looked surprised, it wasn't showing. Naruto definitely looked like the kind that would believe in love and defend it and then live happily ever after and all that crap. He seemed too happy to not actually believe in love. They would have thought he was joking but taking a second look at him, Naruto seemed to be serious.

He didn't look like the type to lie about what he believed in.

Naruto was honest; he didn't believe in love.

And that bit Sasuke right in the ass.

Right when he finds Naruto, the one he believes that is truly the one, happens to believe what he used to think about love.

He may be an Uchiha but some things you just can't have exactly your way.

Naruto was one of them.

"That's surprising Naruto-kun. You don't believe in love? You don't look the type." Itachi asked. He truly was intrigued.

"Yeah, I mean marriage ends in divorce these days. Dating always gets complicated somehow. And falling in love? That's so funny! There's no such thing as love, it's fantasy." Naruto laughed, grinning the entire time. "People always complain about not having that one person to have for the rest of their life. They talk about having love but even when they get the person they want, suddenly it's a mistake. I honestly don't believe that love exists. It's a fantasy."

"You're wrong." Sasuke interjected. Both Itachi and Naruto looked at the other Uchiha strangely. "I think you're wrong Naruto."

The blonde smiled and tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean Sasuke?"

Sasuke cleared his throat, ready to speak. "I think you're wrong Naruto. I think love does exist. You're just missing out on it. Or you're just not giving it its chance to actually work on you."

"Okay Sasuke," Naruto leveled with the younger Uchiha, "tell me what I'm missing then."

"I think when you finally find someone, you'll know. You'll feel it. You'll feel afraid, maybe shocked because you haven't experienced it, but you'll have that feeling more and more. You'll associate those strong feelings with that someone. And then you'll realize… you're in love."

There was an awkward silence between everyone. No one knew what to say. It mostly surprise that they were feeling. Itachi had never even heard his brother utter the word love and now he was sticking up for it. Naruto felt awkward, having been challenged by his superior's brother on how he viewed love.

"I suppose that… we could just agree to disagree." Naruto said with a bit of strained smile.

"Hn."

But Sasuke knew that he would change Naruto's mind. He would prove him wrong and get Naruto to fall in love with him. He would contradict Naruto's views just as Naruto had done the same for him when he first saw him.

After dinner, Sasuke had walked Naruto to his apartment. At the front door they finally stopped and looked each other in the eye. They still held the awkward silence but they were ready to break it.

"Thanks for dinner Sasuke. Thank your brother too. I'm glad you accompanied us." Naruto said with a smile.

Sasuke nodded. "Sure. But just so you know, my brother was going to drag me if I didn't agree to go quietly."

"Well I'm glad you came with us willingly. So…I heard from Shikamaru that you like me."

In the back of the raven's mind, he made a mental note to kill that cloud gazing bastard. He would make sure that the next time he saw him the lazy man would be living in the clouds instead of longingly gazing at them from the roof of their building.

"As a friend right?"

"Huh?"

"You like me as a friend right?"

"… Yeah… as friends."

Naruto smiled and laughed. "That's good. I hope we'll be very good friends! Good night."

"Good night."

Sasuke formulated his plan. He would prove him wrong.

He would make Naruto fall for him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Rewrite as of 5/23/12


	2. Am I Now In Love?

**A/N:** A certain reviewer messaged me for a continuation on BI. I wanted to keep it purely oneshot but she persuaded me to add another part.

So for those of you who asked (or silently hoped) for a sequel or continuation, build a shrine and praise a certain reviewer to make another chapter. Thank her and send her gifts.

A Valentine's day gift.

**DISCLAIMER: **Naruto owned by Kishimoto, based on (500) Days of Summer and some small lines taken from the movie

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><p>Naruto had a huge smile on his face when Sasuke leaned in and gave him another breathtaking kiss. He cupped the raven's cheeks, trying to deepen the kiss and make it last longer. Maybe if he even played the right cards, Sasuke would take him to his home and they would spend the night together.<p>

But the raven pulled away and gave the sexy smirk when he liked to tease him. "I'll see you tomorrow at work dobe."

He laughed and gave a quick kiss to Sasuke. "Sure thing. Thanks for taking me out tonight teme."

Sasuke's hand lingered on his whiskered cheeks. He knew he was curious about them; everyone was. But it was a personal story and it was only shared with to those who were worthy.

He took the pale hand and kissed the palm before giving a cheeky smile.

He watched as Sasuke walked back to his car and drove off into the night.

Sighing to himself, he walked into his apartment complex and entered his home. He looked around the room and just simply observed it. There were no one else's things that were in his apartment. Everything was his. There was no one to control how Naruto could decorate the room, fight over silly things like laundry… no one to come home to.

Naruto walked himself to his kitchen and grabbed a plastic cup of ramen. While he warmed it up in the microwave, he dressed himself in pajamas and switched on the television.

He flipped through channels as he ate his ramen. There was nothing particularly good on tonight as he flipped through the channels. He sighed and put his cup of ramen down and decided to go through his DVD collection. The blonde walked to the nearby shelf and looked through his collection.

His blue eyes set sight on a particular favorite of his.

About an hour and a half later, Naruto took out _Song to the Sun_ from the DVD player and put it back in its case. He really enjoyed that movie, it always touched him.

But for some reason tonight, it didn't lift up his mood that well. He enjoyed it but he didn't really feel better.

Checking the clock, he groaned when he saw that it was almost midnight. He had work to attend tomorrow in the morning.

And when he thought of work, he thought of Sasuke.

Don't get him wrong, he liked Sasuke.

He couldn't deny that the attraction to the dark haired man was strong.

The Uchiha was so wonderful to him. They acted like best friends, as if they knew each other their entire lives. They would tease each other and Sasuke didn't give that treatment to anybody except him. It made him feel special. He was showered with affection and attention and it made him feel warm inside.

He was so comfortable being with Sasuke.

But whatever they had, he knew that it wouldn't last long. He believed it wouldn't last long.

He felt like if he continued to have whatever he had with Sasuke, it would hurt him. He felt good being with him but also guilty because he knew of the raven's romantic pursuit of him. He remembered the day after their dinner with Itachi, he had gone up to the raven and kissed him in his office.

Things just sort of… continued after that happened.

And a few hours after the kiss when Sasuke had asked him about it, wanting to know what it meant. Naruto had stated what he intended clearly.

"_I just want to let you know... that I'm not really looking for anything serious._"

He had honestly expected Sasuke to flip out or something. But he was calm.

But Naruto knew better. Sooner or later, possibly even right at this moment, their relationship was crawling under Sasuke's skin.

Naruto didn't want to be in a relationship but Sasuke did want to be in one.

He and Sasuke wanted different things yet they were together.

He thought about how wonderful Sasuke was to him and how he treated him so kindly. He felt secure being wrapped around his arms and being cradled by him. He liked how special he felt when Sasuke acted so natural when they were alone.

He loved how Sasuke treated him like a lover when they were together outside and together in bed.

It was all just amazing.

But the raven would just be another one. No matter how wonderful he was, no matter how perfect, Sasuke would just be another thing of the past once their fling was done. Their time would come, life would happen, and the it would be over.

Just like all the others.

After all, he wasn't looking to fall in love.

* * *

><p>He could see the disappointed look in Sasuke's face when he turned his face away. The raven leaned in to try again but he avoided his lips. Those amazing, talented pair of lips…<p>

"Naruto? What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto glanced up at him and gathered papers in his hands. He shook his head and muttered, "Nothing. Nothing is wrong."

Hands rested on his hips and traveled up to his waist, resting comfortably there. Without even thinking, he leaned into the touch. His head was tucking perfectly under Sasuke's neck and he sighed. They melded together so well.

Lips brushed against his ear and asked, "What's the matter dobe? Tell me and I'll listen. I'm here for you."

He bit his lip and felt a sudden ache in his chest.

Quickly he stepped out of Sasuke's hold and put on a smile. "Nothing's wrong teme! Don't worry about it! Just go and do your work, I have to get these things back to your brother."

And without even glancing at the Uchiha, he turned and walked out of his office.

He gave the needed paperwork to Itachi and went on his break.

When he was alone he put a hand to his chest and inhaled and exhaled. He was trying to figure out that weird pain he had felt in his chest when he was with Sasuke.

Naruto couldn't figure it out. He had no idea whatsoever. He glanced over at Sasuke's door and wondered if he should apologize for just walking out on him. He nodded his head in determination and knocked on the door.

He didn't get an answer but he could hear the raven's voice. Most likely he was conducting an important business call. Regardless, he let himself in.

Sasuke sat at his desk, the office phone in his hand and the other typing away into the computer. Dark eyes glanced up and acknowledged him as he continued with the phone call. Naruto walked slowly towards the desk and sat on it.

Naruto leaned towards him and kissed him, cutting the Uchiha's words short into the phone. He pulled down the tie on Sasuke's suit and undid the first few buttons on his shirt.

He pulled away and almost laughed at his expression. He was confused but not exactly rejecting the act.

Calmly he pushed the screen to the laptop down and reached for the phone in Sasuke's hold. The raven was stunned to say the least.

Naruto brought the phone to his hear and in a very professional voice said, "I'm sorry sir to interrupt your business call with Uchiha-san sir; I'm sure it is very important. But something just came up that Uchiha-san must attend to right away. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and he will call you back as soon as the matter is taken care of, thank you."

And with that he hung up the phone and crawled over the desk to sit in Sasuke's lap.

And Sasuke welcomed him with open arms, a sexy grin, and a very nice kiss.

His hands roamed everywhere on his body, mapping ownership.

Sasuke had quickly learned Naruto's body. He knew the spots to annoy him but also the spots that got him sighing.

Naruto couldn't explain it but he had the sudden need to be with Sasuke.

He was fairly sure that Sasuke wouldn't complain. After all, he just let his phone call be interrupted to make out with him. He'd guessed that Sasuke would like to have him any day, perhaps every day. He would stop what he was doing if it meant being with him.

It just felt nice and it was a nice thought that there was someone who would actually drop what they were doing just to be with him.

But still something nagged him in the back of his mind as he wound together with Sasuke.

It was the anxiety that he knew that sooner or later that they would end.

They all ended and he would move on.

* * *

><p>Their hands were entwined together as they walked down the streets. People stared but it didn't really bother them. They were just happy together. He remembered when Sasuke had asked about what their relationship really was. And he remembered his own answer. It was an answer that he had used before with others.<p>

"_Why do we need to put on a label of what we are? We're together and we're happy. Isn't that important? That we're happy right here and now?_"

Some didn't respond well while others (reluctantly) agreed.

It had shut Sasuke up.

They walked together through the shopping district and through the park. They laughed and joked, hugged and kissed like a happy couple would.

But they weren't an official couple.

Well, not in Naruto's eyes. It's not like Sasuke had asked for an official relationship since he had closed the bar on that option.

Casual would probably be the best word if Naruto wanted to label it.

He wondered how long Sasuke would be okay with it. He wondered how long Sasuke would last until he got tired of… whatever they were.

He smiled and laughed when Sasuke pulled him in a private area and kissed and held him.

It made Naruto happy.

He wondered why he was thinking so hard about his and Sasuke's future. Sasuke was his now and sooner or later he would be the then. He would be part of Naruto's past.

And then that thought made him sad.

He had never gotten so sad about relationships before.

Naruto had never really believed in love. There were so many definitions and subcategories of love that he thought that people just made up and were so deep into their own definition. That 'love' was just an illusion but people found a way to make it real. In a way, he saw it as an excuse.

He believed in attractions and meaningful connections that lasted for a long time.

But not love.

No matter how hard so many tried to convince him, he didn't believe.

All his previous relationships, they ended with him having to say the words or the other. And to be honest, he wasn't hurt by it.

Life just happens and he moved on from them.

But thinking about Sasuke and having to move on from him…

It made him sad.

* * *

><p>"Come on in. Sorry, it's a little messy." Naruto said as he walked into his apartment and threw his jacket on the nearby chair.<p>

He heard Sasuke stroll in quietly after him.

It has been about five months since their relationship first took place. And he honestly found himself a little surprised when he invited Sasuke to stay the night with him. Something just compelled him to bring the man to where he lived tonight. He didn't often invite people into his domain.

Naruto wondered how long time had passed.

They had gotten comfortable and just laid on the bed talking.

They just talked.

They held each other, touched hands, kissed, and exchanged words. Nothing else happened beyond those four points.

No sex whatsoever.

And while they talked, Naruto found himself telling stories. He told stories to Sasuke that weren't told on routine. They were stories that you had to earn in order to hear them. And Sasuke had earned that right. He told him dreams that he always remembered so vividly, memories that were slightly faded in his mind but couldn't let go of, and talked of even his whisker marks.

They spent their time being together peacefully. They cuddled, held each other, a kiss here and there, and just talked. It was all so intimate without having to get physical. They didn't shed one piece of clothing off each other.

Sometimes they just reveled in the silence of stared into each other's eyes. They gave each other embarrassed smiles and laughed when things became too quiet between each other.

Naruto, despite his cynicism, found that tonight wasn't really a waste.

He entrusted Sasuke with the secrets that he's told very few and he knew that the Uchiha would honor it.

* * *

><p>It was his day off and he spent it just walking through the town by himself.<p>

He looked at all the sights and went through uptown and downtown.

Naruto stepped into a store and looked through the things that they sold. He was pleased to find that he had stumbled into a sort of vintage music store. He went through files of old records, looking at old music that was played in the last few decades.

It was a nice little hobby he liked to do. He had shared it with several people from the past but he mainly did alone.

"Naruto?"

He turned his head around to see who had called his name.

He had felt a small sense of dread when he saw a familiar face come towards him.

"Gaara? Is that you?" he asked as he stepped toward the redhead. He put on a smile and waved at the man.

It had been a long time since he last saw him. He looked at the red head's face and saw that he had gotten a tattoo on his forehead. It was the kanji for love.

He had to fight the urge to snort at it. He didn't want to piss off Gaara; they broke up on a bad note and never really repaired it.

The taller male stood in front of Naruto and assessed him. "You look… the same. How have you been?"

"You too, except for the tattoo. I've been good. How are you doing?"

"I've been well. I thought I had seen you a couple of days ago but I wasn't sure."

Naruto titled his head to the side in confusion.

"I saw you walking with that Uchiha Sasuke guy, from the Uchiha company. I suppose you're dating him?" Gaara asked.

Naruto looked down at his feet. "Umm… well we aren't exactly dating. We're just sorta…"

"I guess you're fucking around with him huh?"

His head shot up and his eyes were wide. He made it sound like he was playing Sasuke. He wasn't doing that. He just didn't want to be in a… he didn't want a serious thing with him. He only wanted…

He glared at the red head and stood his ground. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Sasuke and I are doing just fine. We're happy right now."

Gaara snorted. "Yeah, you're happy right _now_. I've heard that before. Just wait until he'll get sick of all the bullshit going on between you two. Either you'll end it or he will. I wonder who to put my money on?"

Naruto bit his lip in nervousness.

Gaara was obviously mad, he was bitter. They didn't end well when they dated in college.

And here he was, attacking him about the business in his life.

"I had hoped you would have at least changed that aspect about you." Gaara commented.

He wondered if this was some sort of sign.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?"<p>

Naruto nodded his head but obviously he wasn't okay.

He didn't mean to act cold towards Sasuke at the moment but he had lots of things on his mind. He wanted his company but that was it at the moment. He didn't feel like talking.

A hand touched his shoulders and he saw worried dark eyes pinned on him. He gave a half-hearted smile and sipped his drink.

He couldn't even attempt small talk. His mind was focused on his encounter with Gaara.

"Hey." A foreign voice said.

Both his and Sasuke's heads turned toward some drunken man, his eyes obviously resting solely on Naruto. He knew what he wanted, it was obvious. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked. "How about it sweetie? I'll buy you another glass of whatever you're having."

"No, no thank you." He said quietly. He turned his eyes back to his drink, just wanting to get lost in his thoughts again. Naruto had the feeling that Sasuke was glaring holes at the uninvited man. He had seen Sasuke get possessive over him a few small times.

"Come on. Let me buy you a drink. I promise you I'm better company."

"No thank you. I'm flattered but no." he said more firmly. He really didn't want to be bothered.

The guy looked between him and Sasuke and gave a smug smirk. "Don't tell me this guy is your boyfriend? Ha, you could do better babe. Come fine when you want a real man." He snorted. He walked away stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Naruto didn't have enough time to react as Sasuke attacked the man.

（ﾉ´∀`）

Naruto and Sasuke walked in silence up to his apartment. He unlocked the door with his keys and let the raven in go first.

He set his stuff onto the couch and went to the kitchen to go get an ice pack for Sasuke. He pointedly ignored him when the taller man gave him a look of concern.

He returned and just set it in the bigger hand. "Why are you pissed?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Sasuke. "I can't believe you did that."

"Did what? Take out that asshole? I kicked some smug fucker's ass and you're pissed about that? What, were you concerned if I killed the guy or something?" Sasuke, with obvious anger, asked. He took the ice pack and rested it against his cheek. He was a little ashamed that he let that guy get a punch in but in the end he won.

"I didn't need you to do that!" Naruto shouted. "That was totally unnecessary. It wasn't for my benefit or anything. You just wanted to lay it on him because of that comment he made." Naruto took a deep breath and looked off to the side. This was getting complicated now. "Look, I'm tired okay. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

Sasuke looked down, almost defeated and he quietly walked towards the door. But then he stopped and came stomping right back in front of Naruto. He crunched the ice pack and glared at the blonde. "No, we're going to talk okay? I'm not going anywhere until we talk. What the fuck is going on with you?"

Naruto looked taken aback and he shrunk back a little. He shrugged his shoulders and looked down. "Nothing is going on. We're just…"

Sasuke clenched his fist but tried to remain calm. "We're just what?" he said lowly.

"Just frie-" Naruto started quietly but was cut off. Sasuke threw the ice pack down and stomped his foot.

"Don't give me that bullshit! What we do, that is not how you treat your friends! You understand me?" Sasuke shouted. "We kiss, we fucking hold hands, we go out on dates, and office sex? You call that being friends? Friends do _not_ do that!"

The blonde sat down on a chair and stared at the floor briefly. "I really like you Sasuke, please believe that, but I don't want to-"

A fist slammed onto his table and he jumped. He looked into Sasuke's angry expression and felt his heartache. He had never gotten such a strong look of contempt from anyone before. "Do you think you're the only that gets a say in this? You don't, I do too! And damn it I say that we're a fucking couple!" Sasuke shouted. And then he stomped off, leaving a guilty blonde alone.

* * *

><p>He took off the next day from work off, making an excuse that he was sick. It wasn't that he was trying to avoid Sasuke about their fight… okay he kind of was. But he needed to think about things. So many things were happening and he knew that couldn't ignore it.<p>

Naruto stared at the television screen, not even knowing what was playing. All he could think about was Sasuke and Gaara.

When he and Gaara met that day, they walked out into the park, discussing their past and talking about Sasuke.

（ﾉ´∀`）

"Are you made of ice or something? You won't let anyone warm your heart. You act like the sun but you eventually freeze people over. And if you're going to be like that, you shouldn't storm over other people and lead them on. It's not fair to them, even if you explain that you're intentions." Gaara said. "It doesn't make it right."

Naruto crossed his arms, setting himself down on a bench. He watched people interact with one another, trying not to look Gaara in the eye. "I just don't want to be lonely, that's what everyone wants; to not be lonely. Companionship or something like that. Lots of people want that, I'm not that different. Are you just jealous or something?' Naruto giggled, trying to make the air around them so serious.

But Gaara would have none of that.

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long has it been?"

Naruto was quiet, thinking back a little. "Longer than you and me, that's for sure."

Gaara glared at the ground but still spoke softly despite his rising anger in the blonde. "Shouldn't you have ended it by now?"

He received a shrug as an answer and he was ready to just yell at him. "I don't know. He just has something that you don't, something we didn't have. Something that I'm more sure about than what I had with you. Something that makes me more committed to him and wants to be with him just a little longer before it ends." Naruto said softly.

"Before it ends." Gaara snorted. "Of course you say that, you want it to end. You don't even have the expectation of lasting forever. How afraid are you?"

Naruto ignored Gaara's question. "But I know that he has something I'm surer about than you or the others."

"Then damn it Naruto," Gaara stood up, not bothering to quiet his voice anymore, "if you're so sure about what Uchiha has then you better be sure that he doesn't get tired of your bullshit soon and take him now. You know you want it but you're just too much of a coward to actually take the jump. If you want a companion with no strings attached then get a fucking pet."

He was taken aback by the sudden anger. Gaara never was one to just burst. "Gaara, I just-"

"No, I don't want to hear anymore. You're so damn selfish! I spent years of unrequited love for you and then you just end up using me and tossing me away!" Gaara stomped away, not bothering to look back.

Naruto watched him walk away and tried to hold back the tears that almost gave way. He always regretted ruining his relationship with his best friend.

（ﾉ´∀`）

Truly there must be something wrong with Naruto. He didn't want to be lonely yet he didn't want to be with someone at the same time. A simple friendship wouldn't suffice and satisfy his needs.

Looking up at the ceiling, he thought long and hard about Sasuke.

He was practically perfect, he was willing to be with Naruto, and would do just about anything for him. He even accepted Naruto's "casual" terms of their relationship. He was willing to be with him. So why was he afraid? Why was he afraid of that?

He thought again if he could continue on without Sasuke in his life. And the thought hurt him greatly.

Naruto sat up and thought for sure he was going crazy. He put a hand over his heart and sighed out loud.

Was he in love?

He walked slowly towards the office. After coming to his possible realization, he took a while working up the courage to walk to the workplace.

Naruto stood in front of the shiny glass doors, suddenly feeling intimidated.

He wondered if he could go through with it. Naruto was never one to exactly bare his soul. He'd always been straightforward about his steady intention over the past few years of his life.

_I'm not looking for anything serious okay?_

And yet here he was, ready to go to Sasuke. But he had no idea what to say. What would he say when he got there?

"Naruto-kun? What are you doing here?"

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and was surprised to find himself standing in front of Itachi. He figured he must have been walking without realizing it. "Um… I just came here to talk to Sasuke. There's something that I need to tell him."

Itachi nodded and pointed to Sasuke's office. "Very well, he's in his office as usual. But I warn you he seems a bit testy today."

He nodded and bowed to the elder Uchiha. With hesitance, he walked to the wooden door and knocked. There was some faint cursing and a growled, "Come in." He was almost ready to turn away. But he was there and wanted to get it over with.

Opening the door, he saw Sasuke glaring into his computer screen. He wondered if Sasuke was pissed at his work or if he was angry from the fight and was just transferring it to his work. "S-Sasuke…"

Said man looked up from his work, and to say the least he was surprised to see him. "Naruto, what are you doing here? I thought you were sick. You need your rest if you're not feeling well."

Naruto's heart sped up a little and he felt guilty. Even after their fight, Sasuke was still treating him with kindness. For him, he would have just kept on giving the silent treatment. He cleared his throat and walked up to the large desk, trying to look balanced and calm. "I wanted to tell you something. I wanted to um… tell you something really important."

Sasuke stood up from his chair and circled the desk to get to Naruto. Standing in front of the blonde, he put his hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "What's the matter? Did something happen?"

Looking up into dark eyes, Naruto was very afraid.

He didn't want to admit that after years of his steady intention and idea of love, he was finally going to eat his own words. Sasuke might have actually achieved the goal of making him, Uzumaki Naruto, finally fall in love.

But at the same time, he didn't think he was going to do it. He still wanted to believe that love didn't exist; despite the emotions he was feeling. He wanted to lead the life he was leading, he was comfortable with it and he didn't want to risk himself for it. Life happened, relationships end, and you need to move on. That was what he believed.

His mind drew a blank when Sasuke asked, "What?"

He opened his mouth but he was unsure of the words he was going to speak.

He only knew one thing; he was afraid of the consequences of his words.

"Please tell me."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **An (attempt) at an ambiguous ending, interpret how you want. Did Naruto take the risk and admit that he was in love possibly? Or did he do what he usually does, break things off and just try to move on from Sasuke despite knowing the pain that would happen? It all depends on you.

Leave your thoughts on what Naruto did and why.

Rewrite: 5/31/13


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